"I will. I have Daisy right here."
* T don't think that powder puff is going to be much protection if anyone comes looking for you."
"They won't do that, Birch. They know the alternative if they do. Get some sleep, honey. I'll talk to you later."
Fanny replaced the phone and reached for her coffee cup.
The phone rang again just as Fanny poured more coffee. She let it ring five times before she picked it up. "Mrs. Thornton? You said you would call at nine o'clock. I waited for your call."
Fanny sucked in her breath. She would recognize that voice if she was in a cave full of screaming bats. ' 'I was washing my hair at nine o'clock," Fanny lied.
"Washing your hair?" Fanny could just imagine the stupid look on the man's face.
"Uh-huh. What can I do for you this morning?"
"Two above the bank rate."
"Be serious. This is not negotiable. I have things to do today so I need to know if you're going to be calling me back."
"We're not your husband's personal bankers, Mrs. Thornton. We made the loan in good faith and your husband signed the necessary papers."
"Ex-husband. Ash was heavily medicated when he signed those papers. I told you, the matter is not negotiable. I have to roll my hair now or it will frizz up. Good-bye."
Fanny gulped at the coffee in the heavy mug. "Either you're
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stupid, Fanny Thornton, or you have no brains," she muttered to herself.
When the phone rang again, Fanny let it ring eight times before she picked it up. She listened to the cold, angry voice, a voice she matched perfectly when she said, "I told you this is not negotiable. You know my terms. You're starting to irritate me. Either you agree now or just for pure orneriness on my part I'll leave the switch and valve off a whole day as punishment when we do come to terms. You can't win, Mr. whatever your name is. Tell that to your people. Now, get the hell off my line. Someone important might be trying to call me."
"Mrs. Thornton, you're being very foolish. I cannot control my employers. Things happen in this town that are never spoken of again. Please, you need to reconsider and allow my people to save face here. In addition you are restricting the rights of my employers to earn a living. They can sue you."
"You just threatened me. I will not tolerate that kind of behavior. Is it your intention to cut me up in pieces and stuff me in a paper bag? The switch and valve stay off for two days. Each time you call me I'll add another day. Sue me. The case will be in the courts for years. All your dirty laundry will be aired. The Feds will take over this town, and we both know it. One hundred percent interest is ludicrous. What I will negotiate are the monies you pay me to turn the switch and valve back on. You're dark for two more days. Don't ..." Fanny grappled for a word her daughter Sunny would use under the circumstances to make her point. "Don't piss me off." She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a chuckle on the other end of the phone as she was hanging it up.
Fanny looked around her small, comfortable studio. Would they kill her? She needed to do something. Scrub the kitchen floor. The small bathroom needed to be cleaned. The windows should be washed.
Fanny looked down at herself. She was still dressed in Ash's clothing, the jeans rolled up six times around her ankles. The tattered sweatshirt that said U.S. Navy on the front, Ash's
prize possession, seemed fit attire for the work at hand. A red bandanna tied around her hair completed her outfit.
Fanny was hard at work, the kitchen floor covered with soapy water when Chue burst through the front door. "Miss Fanny, a parade is coming up the mountain. Five long black cars like ... the ones at Miss Sallie's funeral. Another blue car is behind them. What do you want me to do? Is this trouble?"
"Oh, yeah." Fanny could feel bile rise in her throat. "When they get here, escort them in and then go to your house and call the boys at the casino."
"I will stay. I know jujitsu."
"It's all right, Chue. This is going to be a verbal battle."
"They are here."
"Let them in, Chue."
Fanny dipped her rag into the soapsuds and was industriously scrubbing the tile floor when she noticed two rows of shiny black shoes out of the corner of her eye. She leaned back against the cabinet on her haunches. "Welcome to Sunrise, gentlemen. Humph," she snorted. "Where are your chain saws? That's how you do it, isn't it?" When her heart exploded would her chest cavity just burst or would her heart tear itself loose and come up and out through her throat?
"Do what, Mrs. Thornton?" a soft cultured voice asked.
"You know, slice and dice, rip apart my joints, that kind of thing. I'm not afraid of you," she blustered.
"You have no reason to be afraid. Concerned, yes. I think perhaps you watch too many movies. We're legitimate businessmen. These gentlemen, myself included, are here to conduct business."
"You mean you're here to negotiate. Let's tell it like it is." Fanny ignored the outstretched hand. Through the sea of shiny black shoes she saw a pair of worn sneakers with frayed shoelaces, the kind of laces dogs chew on. Suddenly her cozy kitchen was lighter, brighter. The sun seemed warmer as it sliced through the Venetian blinds and across her neck. She jerked her head. The rows of shiny black shoes faded before her eyes until the worn sneakers found their way front and
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center. "Move!" she said irritably. "Simon! Oh, Simon, is it really you? Move, move," Fanny yelled as she scrambled to her knees on the wet floor to get to her feet. "Oh, Simon, you're here. How did you know? Sit, sit," she said to the men. "Make some coffee, finish the floor, do whatever you want. I'll be back in a little while."
She was in the air swirling about the small room, her lips pressed against Simon's as he tried to whirl both of them out the door, three yapping dogs at their feet. "Oh, Simon, you came back. I followed you that day and missed you by fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes. I wanted to die. Where were you? Sunny saw you in Bakersfield and we tried to follow you. Oh, Simon, I have so much to tell you. I found my mother. I actually saw her. Kiss me, hold me tight and don't you ever let me go again. God, I love you, Simon. I want to get married. Today."
"You came after me! I didn't know, Fanny. I never should have left. It was stupid of me. I heard the news this morning. I'm ready to get married right now," Simon said, kissing her eyes, her nose, her ears.
"I have to finish scrubbing the floor first and find a dress to wear. What color, Simon?"
"That blue flowered one. All my clothes are in the trunk and they're wrinkled."
"I'll iron them for you. I love you, Simon. So much I ache. I want to carry lilies of the valley. I love the way they smell. Should it be private or should we invite people? That's all nonsense, all I want is you. I can carry plastic flowers."
' 'Whatever you want, Fanny. What the hell is going on? Are those men the other casino owners? Why are they here, Fanny? Do you have any idea of how much danger you're in?"
"I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about us. We're finally getting married. Introduce me, Simon." Fanny dropped to her knees to fondle the little dogs' ears. "Oh, look, they like Daisy. This is so wonderful. We're a family, Simon. Us and the dogs."
"Forever and ever. Let's get rid of these guys. Can you get rid of them or are they ... ?"
"I have to make some deals here. How much should I ask for?"
"Push them to the wall." Simon's words left him giddy when he saw the smile on Fanny's face.
Fanny cleared her throat. "Gentlemen, sit down. When a man stands over a woman, it's for the purposes of intimidation. Fine. This is fine. Now, have you agreed to bank rates? You have. All right, now we have some place to start. The town is dark and waterless for two more days. You had a choice and you chose not to exercise that choice. Last night I did some calculating on my adding machine and the numbers were so high they ran off the roll of paper. That tells me you want to return to business as quickly as possible. This is what I propose. Forgive the debt to m
y ex-husband and we'll lease the riverboats in Biloxi, Mississippi, to you at the same rates you were charging him. What is power and water worth to you for the next two days? Tomorrow and the day after it will be worth more than it's worth today. While you huddle, I'm going to finish my kitchen floor because I'm getting married today, and I have to get ready. Even though I'm in a wonderful mood right now, that could change if your numbers aren't . .. acceptable."
Inside the studio with the door closed, Fanny hissed, "I think I finally figured out who that one guy is, the one I met last night at the cafe in town. Do you remember your mother's friend Jeb? She gave him a job and took care of his family? There were four boys and they all looked like Jeb. Sallie bought him a house and sent his boys to college. She paid all the bills when Jeb's wife got sick, and then she paid the medical bills for Jeb after he passed away. Sallie said Jeb used to feed her and Cotton and the other miners when they were broke. I'm almost positive the man I met last night is one of Jeb's boys, and if you look really closely at three of the others, they look like him, too. I don't know if it means anything or not."
"Fanny, what the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm just trying to make sense of all this. I want out of here, Simon. We can talk driving down the mountain. There are no words to tell you how happy I am to see you. The perfect
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ending to a nightmare. Ash ... I don't want to talk about him either. There, the floor is dry. Let's take a shower together." She was babbling, but she didn't care.
"Fanny!"
"I just wanted to see what you would say. Hold the fort so I can get dressed. I was so afraid, Simon."
Simon followed Fanny into the tiny bathroom.' 'I don't know what's going on and I'm afraid. You have the edge on me by knowing. Hurry up, Fanny, I want out of here."
In the tiny kitchen Simon filled to overflowing with his presence, he poured himself a cup of cold coffee, his eyes on the men in dark suits outside the window. What were they saying? What were they agreeing to? Would they buckle under to Fanny? Ash, you son of a bitch, I'd like to strangle you for putting Fanny in this position. If he was lucky maybe they'd still kill Ash to make a point. He wouldn't grieve.
"Simon."
Simon turned at the sound of his whispered name. She was more beautiful than he remembered. He stood still, certain he was dreaming. If he didn't move or speak, he could preserve the dream.
"Simon?"
"Fanny," he said in a strangled voice.
"I'm ready to get married now. I'm wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and blue. I think that's the way it goes."
"I love this dream," Simon said.
"I thought it was a dream, too. Should we pinch each other?"
"I'd rather hold you and kiss you till you yell for mercy. I really like this dream."
"I do, too," Fanny said, advancing one step, then another until she was standing nose to nose with Simon. "I can feel your breath on my cheek and feel your heart beating next to mine. We aren't dreaming, Simon. I'm going to need a ring."
"We'll get one in town."
"Just a plain gold band. Thick, a little wide. Very plain. I love you so much. Oh, Simon, don't start something we can't
finish here and now." Fanny nibbled on his lip, his ear, the side of his neck.
"Mrs. Thornton."
"Hmmmm," Fanny said.
"My associates would like to speak with you. Outside if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all. Do you mind, Simon?"
"Yes, I mind. Get rid of them, Fanny. They're cluttering up our dream."
Fanny giggled. Simon loved the sound. He said so.
"I'm not a bit afraid. I thought they'd come here with guns and . . . you know, chain saws and ... suitcases full of money to try and . . . bribe me. I didn't pack anything."
"Good idea. We'll buy everything. I have a feeling you're going to be very rich when you walk out of here."
"I don't want their money, Simon. I wouldn't take it if they gave it to me."
"That's a pretty stupid attitude, Fanny. Then what is this all about?"
"It's about Ash paying out one hundred percent in interest. He can only handle a legitimate bank loan with regulated interest rates. All that stuff I said before, those were just words. I wanted them to be on the receiving end of things for a change. They were bleeding him, threatening and intimidating him. I will not tolerate that. They said they were legitimate businessmen. Legitimate businessmen don't charge one hundred percent interest. Get Daisy's stuff, and I'll meet you by the car. Lock the door, Simon."
Simon's gay mood changed suddenly. "It sounds to me, Fanny, like you're still shackled to Ash. I don't want him in our lives. Cut him loose."
Fanny stared at Simon. "I can't do that, Simon. I told you once before there is a small part of my life that will always belong to Ash. It's the way it is. You have to accept it." She watched as a veil dropped over Simon's eyes. He nodded curtly before he turned his back on her.
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"When will the power and water be turned on, Mrs. Thornton?" the spokesperson asked.
"When we come to terms. What have you decided?"
"We've decided you drive a very hard bargain. We aren't fools as you must realize. Every day our casinos are shut down we lose millions of dollars. We have no wish to repeat last night's disaster. As it stands now even though you turn on the power and water, we are still losing money. Our headliners left last night and early this morning. Contractually, we still have to pay them. Our food spoiled, our sewage system backed up. We also had several serious accidents because of the darkness. Many of our customers relocated to your casino and will undoubtedly stay there for the length of their visit. It's a domino effect. What all this means to you is, we agree to your terms." Fanny thought she saw grudging respect in the man's eyes.
"In writing, sir, in town, at my attorney's office." Fanny looked at her watch. "In ninety minutes. You might want to think about wearing gray flannel. Black is ominous. Then again, if that's your intent .. . gray is so much more business-like." Fanny smiled wickedly. Power was wonderful. She wondered if she would become addicted to it. Never.
The moment Fanny settled herself she heaved a mighty sigh. "Simon, if Ash wasn't wheelchair-bound, do you think he would have done the same thing?"
"Yes, but it would be worse. Ash marches to his own drummer." Fanny blanched at the coolness in Simon's voice.
A second later, Fanny was asleep. Simon smiled as he stretched out his arm to gather her close to him. The release of fear was better than any sleeping pill.
He was getting married. Finally. All because of Ash and his damn riverboats. The big question was, where should they go? What should they do with their lives? By agreeing to marry him, Fanny must be willing to do whatever he wanted. The only thing he knew for certain right now was he didn't want to spend one second longer in Las Vegas than he had to. He had to get Fanny away from her damn family. Fanny always had ideas. Maybe they could travel, see the world together.
Maybe Fanny would want to buy a farm or move to a small town like the one she grew up in. He would agree to anything Fanny wanted to do as long as she didn't allow Ash and her family to invade their lives.
A prickle of fear rippled up Simon's back. Would Fanny leave her children and move away? Now that Sunny was about to deliver, would Fanny walk away from her first grandchild? Did he have the right to expect her to say good-bye to her family? She would be giving up her businesses, too. It wasn't going to be simple after all. Why couldn't two people just fall in love and live happily ever after? Because life gets in the way, he answered himself.
He drove on, Fanny's head on his shoulder. She didn't wake until he pulled into Babylon's underground garage. "Are we here already, Simon? I fell asleep. I'm so sorry. I think it was all that anxiety and then the outcome. Simon, I played your message over a hundred times. What should we do first?"
"Fanny, I don't want to get married until this
is over and done with. When we drive away from here I don't want to have to worry about Ash's enemies. Make no mistake, they are his enemies. No man is a law unto himself in this town even if his wife can turn switches and valves."
"You're scaring me, Simon."
"That's good, Fanny, because I don't want you thinking those hoodlums in their three-piece suits were telling you the truth when they said they were legitimate businessmen. They aren't. They caved in because you had them by the short hairs. They aren't going to forget it. They won't mess with you, but they will mess with Ash. Perhaps not right now. They'll wait until things quiet down, and it's business as usual. That's when they'll do something. Just be aware. I think we both need to talk to Ash. He won't listen to either one of us, but I want to know I did everything I could to warn him. First it was the poker tournament. He aced them out on that. There was this little episode. That makes two. Three will not be Ash's lucky number. I don't know, maybe we can get through to him."
"Don't count on it, Simon. Ash doesn't listen to anyone. I
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don't want him to spoil this for us. Are we going to tell anyone, or are we just going to do it?"
"I say we just go off and do it. We'll call when it's a done deed."
4 'Okay, Mr. Thornton. We have time to go upstairs to the office and tell everyone what's going on before we walk to the attorney's office. I'm sure the kids are worried."
"Lead the way, Mrs. Thornton."
"Talk about red letter days," Ash's voice boomed when Fanny and Simon walked through the door, his anger at his brother forgotten. His mood was expansive as he waved his arms about, his smile affable.
His eyes were so glassy Fanny could see herself in their depths. She could feel her insides start to churn. "Relax, Ash. Everything isn't over yet. I'm on my way to the lawyer's office to finalize everything. At that time I'll have the water and power restored. I made a deal, Ash. Me. Not you. And you damn well better live up to it. You have bank rates on your loan. I suggest any monies above the norm last night and today go toward an up-front payment of your loan. Your riverboats in Mississippi are going to be leased to those people at an appropriate rate of interest. You're ahead of the game, Ash. You're alive. If you want, give them the riverboats and we'll make it a wash and you won't have that tremendous debt staring you in the face every day. I think I can make a deal on that. It's your decision."
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